New Delhi: The National Anti-Doping Authority (NADA) has served a notice for a whereabouts failure to retired wrestler Vinesh Phogat after sending a team to collect urine sample of the wrestler who missed a medal in the Paris Olympic Games as she was disqualified for being 100gms overweight on the morning of the final.
The notice informed that a Dope Control Officer was sent to Vinesh's residence in Sonipat in Haryana on September 9, at the time specified by her, that she would be available there. But Vinesh, who is contesting the elections for the Haryana Assembly, was not available at her residence. This, NADA said, constitutes a whereabouts failure.
Vinesh, who made history for India by becoming the first female wrestler to qualify for the final of the Women's 50kg category in Paris, has been asked to reply to the notice within 14 days.
As per the World Anti-Doping Authority rules, active sports persons are part of the Registered Testing Pool and therefore are required to give a specific time and location for specific days in a month when they would be available for testing if needed.
Vinesh, who had qualified for the Paris Olympic Games, has been part of the Registered Testing Pool since March 2022 and was also informed by NADA in January this year about her inclusion in the list.
Three whereabouts failures in 12 months are considered an Anti-doping Rule Violation and taken and get the same punishment as a positive dope test. In the case of Vinesh Phogat, the NADA letter specified that it was her first whereabouts failure in 12 months.
